Some say they appear to be in a kind of trance

Bill:
Well, seems like only yestahday we were shoveling snow and watching guys stretch in Fort Meyers, yet here we are 81 games into the season and halfway to Octobah.

 

---

Doug:
Unbelievable how quickly this season has progressed. But, yeah, here we are with 81 in the books and only one game shy of last year's pace, which surprises me somewhat in that watching this team ovah the first 81, I feel they are even bettah than last year's club.

 

---

Bill:
Considering the injuries this season, being only one off of last year's pace supports the argument that maybe they are bettah than in '07.

 

---

Bill:
So any predictions for the 2nd half?

 

---

Doug:
Red Sox take the East, of course. Los Aneheims in the West. Maybe White Sox in the Central and, drumroll please, Tamba Bay with the wild cahd.

 

---

Bill:
What, no Yankees? Oh, the sacrilege.

 

---

Doug:
Yeah, right now from Chillicothe to Hackensack an army of Pinstripe homahs are hunkered ovah their dirty keyboards in a flurry of two-fingahed typing to tell us just how wrong we are.

 

---

Bill:
Honestly, though, I'd nevah completely count the Yankees out.

 

---

Doug:
Me neithah. I mean they are like the undead zombies in a Romero film.

 

---

Bill:
Yeah, I was watching the Yankees the other night, and defensively they are about as quick and limbah as the zombies in the graveyahd scene of Night of the Living Dead.

 

---

Doug:
But if you stumble or get cornered, they are all the fuck ovah your ass.

 

---

Comments

[louclinton]

See you in the Series, mofos.

lc

[Bob]

Zombies eat brains. Which explains why BigBri is, uh, "special."

[RationalSoxFan]

I love the zombie reference - it is perfect, and true. While we have simply enjoying the view from the top and kicking the Rays' fingers when they reach the top rung, the Yankees have been slowly and quietly creeping closer, just an inch at a time. They will be in the hunt come September, but they need to bolster the pitching staff to be a serious contender for a title.

I'd love to see them miss the playoffs for once!

[vasoxfan]

Re: Yanks
They were 11 games back this time last year. We were 9.0 up on Toronto.
I would say statistically the Yanks are in better shape now than last year so we can't count them out. Damn it!! But anyone want to speculate why our road record sucks!!!

[vermonter]

I type with two fingers.

[Steve in MD]

There are two big differences between last year and this year for the skanks. First, both Boston and TB have better pitching depth and second, there's no Rocket coming the rescue. An article on SI.com says the Rays are making a run at CC Sabathia, and they have more to deal with than the skanks, and there isn't much else out there for them to pick up. Bedard and Arroyo might be available, but they aren't pitching well. I actually think the skanks are worse off this year than they were at this time last year, but there is that zoombie thing... (What a terrific analogy h.b.!)

[Kaz]

Was at the game Wednesday. I have to make mention that the "Jolly Roger" drum section that inhabits the bullpen for the first 6 or so innings of the game are getting more bold and boisterous with their rhythms.

It's awesome. No other ball club in the majors has guys with the kind of team spirit, craziness, and dare I say drumming talent that our bullpen has! It's almost loud enough these days to actually get the crowd into it. I dunno though, it also seems that once that happens it'll be too over-the-top trendy/whatever and the bullpen will probably stop doing it.

[NolaSox]

Some Random Thoughts

h.b. you might want betus to pay with secured funds for their ad since internet gambling is illegal in the US and the Dept of Justice is cracking down on it. Not that there aren't people who get around that somehow e.g. bodog guy Calvin Ayre and his jurisdictional arbitrage.

Speaking of ads - the kintees Viva El Papi shirt looks very similar to the Mighty Ortiz shirt at Surviving Grady.

[Joe]

I enjoyed the mid-season report card, and was gratified that my decisions were pretty close to the votes so far.

General summary, as I see it:

Both offense and defense are about where they were expected to be, which, considering the injuries to key players this year, is a pretty impressive accomplishment.

But --- offensively, I think the Red Sox leave too many players on base. They win because the sheer relentlessness of the offense scores them enough runs to win most games, but they are not overwhelming the opposition the way they should be.

Also -- the pitching has been good enough to win, but also not as overpowering as expected, despite Dice-K's 8-1 record. Pitchers are letting too many people on base, and the Red Sox have not been immune to the middle relief malaise that has seemed to hit all of baseball. And Okajima and Papelbon, while very good statistically, have often proved to be terribly human.

The Red Sox should win it all, but it won't be the cakewalk that it should have been!

[Natalie]

So hb, at what point do you have to change your moniker from hart brachen to hart bracher? Our 3rd series victory? :)

[yazbread]

Cubs just went 1-5 against Rays and Los Birdos. So much for that pretty NL record.

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

Joe,

Those are some pretty high standards you're holding the team to, especially the offense. They are first in the league in OBP and second in slugging (only 0.004 behind first). They're averaging 5.01 runs per game.

They are 5th in the league in team ERA -- 3.81 and and allowing 4.15 runs per game. They do issue a bit more than the league average amount of walks per game.

Other than Timlin and Tavarez, the relief pitching has been good. Not great, but good. I'd be happier if Okie pitched like he did last year.

[soxinboots]

howdy
in case anyone is going to the games in houston... bring a sweater. we texans love to use energy (perhaps you've noticed) so they chill the stadium down to 65 for gametime. it gets bearable when they open the roof in the middle of the game and let in some hot, smuggy oiltown air.

[soxinboots]

howdy
in case anyone is going to the games in houston... bring a sweater. we texans love to use energy (perhaps you've noticed) so they chill the stadium down to 65 for gametime. it gets bearable when they open the roof in the middle of the game and let in some hot, smuggy oiltown air.

[Bob]

Soxinboots, 65 is pretty balmy for us. T-shirt and shorts weather. Although at this very moment it's sticky and I hear thunder.

[Bob]

I'm about ready to split work (yes, BEFORE beer cart). Going to see Tom Tom Club and Devo tonight. Have to get a head start on eliminating the ninnies and the twits.

Have a great weekend all. Hopefully we'll have something fun to yak about on Monday.

[ParkerStPete]

One of my younger (i.e. mid-twentyish) colleagues said he's going to see Devo tonight. He was a little surprised when I told him I saw those zany "not men" in Baltimore back in '81 or thereabouts. Not sure if he was even born then.

[ParkerStPete]

Mets score 5 (so far) in top of 6th to take 11-4 lead over MFYs!

[sonomasox]

I've got nothing today other than the Sox on solid pace this year (I'm w/ you Ryan), 65 isn't balmy even in Maine unless it's in months other than July/August, the smoke has started to lift out here - can see blue sky, and the wine cart at lunch has made for a sleepy afternoon.

Hope to kick some Ass-tros this weekend!
Sorry - figured someone would've done that by now.

[soxdownunder]

Devo! - omg, I saw them 20 years or more ago in sydney and it was like a Nazi rally, tres weird.

Go Mets.

[Steve in MD]

/Cubs just went 1-5 against Rays and Los Birdos. So much for that pretty NL record./
yazbread, the ChiSox are doing a number on them as well - 8-0 in the 4th.

[Jay]

Last night at work...this is going to be a long night. Next week off, so it's even worse. Anyone going to the Toilet next week? I'l be there the 3rd. I'll be the one in the upper section wearing the Ted williams jersey and viva elpapi shirt getting jeered by the crowd!
Absolutely happy with where the sax are at the half. Never thought it would be a cakewalk in the first place but me thinks were sitting right where we should be.

[Kaz]

I blame Jerry and Remy for gooching Saturday's game by continuously announcing how our bullpen hadn't given up more than 1 run in the past 13 IP.

[soxdownunder]

[Kaz],
Espana! Por fin.

[BB]

Hey H.B. I'd love to tell you how wrong you (and your characters) are but I'm off to a Tampa Bay Rays fanboy site. Looks they'll be the real problem this year. You had a nice run though....

[Harwich Rich]

One less troll-now that's something fun to yak about :)